Providence Business News: MIKEL Cuts Ribbon on $2.5M Fall River Facility

FALL RIVER – MIKEL Inc., a woman-owned defense contractor based in Middletown, officially cut the ribbon on its new $2.5 million Fall River facility Monday on National Submarine Day.

The 21,500-square-foot site at 589 Commerce Drive will initially host a team of 25, with plans to expand to a staff of 50. It will allow for in-house system testing in an environmentally controlled test tank, as opposed to having to travel to a test site in upstate New York, and gives Fall River employees the ability to refurbish and store equipment efficiently, providing faster and more agile mission-specific deployment.

“For more than two decades, MIKEL has delivered innovative technology solutions and undersea innovations that bolster our national security and advance progress in the defense industry. We are excited to continue our growth with this expanded Fall River facility,” said Kelly Mendell, president of MIKEL.

 

 

The company is currently working on a “GPS system” for nuclear submarines by using beacons that can be dropped to the ocean floor. MIKEL is also using the Fall River facility for prototyping new scientific equipment for tactical use.

In 2019, MIKEL was awarded two U.S. Navy contracts worth about $10.7 million. They included a five-year deal worth about $10 million to provide technical services for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport.

MIKEL currently has about 230 employees, including engineers, scientists, technicians and management support personnel, with offices in Middletown and employees in Washington, D.C., and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.

The company was founded in 1999 by Mendell’s father, Brian Guimond. He named the company MIKEL after his two children, Michael and Kelly, and is the company’s chief technology officer.

Read the story on PBN.com: https://pbn.com/mikel-cuts-ribbon-on-2-5m-fall-river-facility/